Don't let the "spicy" scare you off from this soup. You can easily adjust the spices to make it less spicy. Or, add an extra scoop of sour cream to mellow the heat. Green chilis, jalapeno and chili pepper add the heat. Paprika and cumin provide a background smoky flavor and a generous squeeze of lime juice contributes a bit of much needed acidity.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 4-ounce can diced mild green chilies
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño chili with seeds (for less spice, remove seeds and white pith)
- ½ - 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon chili powder
- two 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Optional Garnishes: sour cream, tortilla chips, sliced fresh avocado
Instructions
In a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it starts to shimmer. Add the onion, green chilies, garlic, jalapeño, cumin, smoked paprika and chili powder. Sauté until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans and broth.
Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. This will give all the ingredients a chance to infuse the soup with lots of flavor. Using an immersion blender, puree until it’s the consistency you like. I tend to still like some bits and crunch. You can also use a blender for this step. For a chunkier soup, another option is to blend 3 cups of the soup in the blender. Then return the puree to same pot. Stir in about 6 tablespoons of the cilantro. Leave enough cilantro for garnishing each bowl of soup. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and top with dollop of sour cream, tortilla chips and avocado slices. Sprinkle each bowl with remaining cilantro.
NOTE: If you are worried about the spice, make this soup milder by cutting the amount of spices in half. You can always add more spices at the end, after you taste, if you want it spicier.
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